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| Femi Falana |
Respected Nigerian Lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has written a
letter to President Jacob Zuma of South Africa,asking him to identify suspected
perpetrators of xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other Africans living in
that country for prosecution.
In the letter titled: “Request to identify perpetrators of
xenophobic attacks against Nigerians, bring them to justice and provide adequate
compensation to victims.”
Falana said he would sue the South African government if it
fails to stop the xenophobic attacks as requested.
He said,
“Take notice that if the xenophobic attacks continue
unabated we shall be compelled to drag your government to the African
Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights for appropriate legal redress.
“Since 2008, the xenophobic violence and other criminal acts
have continued to occur across South Africa claiming lives, displacing tens of
thousands of people and leaving countless victims injured and robbing them of
their property.
“Although some arrests have reportedly been made, many
perpetrators are yet to be brought to justice while the victims continue to be
denied access to justice and their internationally recognized right to an
effective remedy and reparations.
“We believe that it is the failure of your government to
bring perpetrators to justice and protect the victims of the xenophobic attacks
that has resulted in a vicious cycle of attacks and impunity.
” These xenophobic attacks and violence are not only human
rights violations but also criminal acts, and the persistent failure to
proactively address the problems is a serious affront to the rule of law, and
directly breaches your government’s international human rights obligations
including under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, particularly
Article 12 on the right to movement.”
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